Today I found myself facing a unique conundrum. What to do with the leftover blue cheese sitting in my fridge? I've literally never had this problem before. I've never had "leftover cheese" before. I didn't even think it was possible.
A number of solutions presented themselves. Put it in a salad? Melt it between two slices of bread with some caramelized onions? Eat the whole thing right there, before the Help notices and demands his half??
But it's spring break, people. If there were ever a time to shake things up and depart from the usual vehicles of blue cheese consumption, this is probably it. So I confess, I got a little fancy.
Actually, I got a lot fancy. I baked something with an accent mark in the name. Basically, a gougère is a cheese puff, made from savory choux pastry (the same type of pastry used to make cream puffs and éclairs), with some grated cheese (often Gruyère or Emmentaler) added to the dough. All I did was swap in blue cheese, and add a bit of dried rosemary.
The result was pretty delicious, and so ridiculously simple to make. Also frighteningly easy to consume in large amounts. 5 gougères were harmed in the writing of this post.
A number of solutions presented themselves. Put it in a salad? Melt it between two slices of bread with some caramelized onions? Eat the whole thing right there, before the Help notices and demands his half??
But it's spring break, people. If there were ever a time to shake things up and depart from the usual vehicles of blue cheese consumption, this is probably it. So I confess, I got a little fancy.
Actually, I got a lot fancy. I baked something with an accent mark in the name. Basically, a gougère is a cheese puff, made from savory choux pastry (the same type of pastry used to make cream puffs and éclairs), with some grated cheese (often Gruyère or Emmentaler) added to the dough. All I did was swap in blue cheese, and add a bit of dried rosemary.
The result was pretty delicious, and so ridiculously simple to make. Also frighteningly easy to consume in large amounts. 5 gougères were harmed in the writing of this post.
blue cheese rosemary gougères recipe
(adapted from Freutcake)
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F, and line a baking sheet with parchment or a silicone mat.
In a small saucepan, bring wine, butter, water and salt to a simmer. Allow butter to melt completely.
Add in flour all at once, and stir with wooden spoon/whisk until flour is fully incorporated and the dough pulls away from the sides of the saucepan.
Transfer dough to a medium-sized mixing bowl and allow to cool slightly.
Add eggs to the dough one at a time, mixing until each egg is fully incorporated.
Stir in the blue cheese crumbles and rosemary.
Transfer the dough to a piping bag, or a Ziploc bag with a corner snipped off. Pipe dough onto the baking sheet in mounds approximately 1.5" in diameter (you can change the size of the mounds, but your baking time will have to be changed accordingly).
Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until puffs are golden brown. Serve warm, or freeze for up to 1 month.
(adapted from Freutcake)
- 1/4 cup white wine
- 1/2 stick unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/2 cup flour
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
- 1 Tbsp. dried rosemary
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F, and line a baking sheet with parchment or a silicone mat.
In a small saucepan, bring wine, butter, water and salt to a simmer. Allow butter to melt completely.
Add in flour all at once, and stir with wooden spoon/whisk until flour is fully incorporated and the dough pulls away from the sides of the saucepan.
Transfer dough to a medium-sized mixing bowl and allow to cool slightly.
Add eggs to the dough one at a time, mixing until each egg is fully incorporated.
Stir in the blue cheese crumbles and rosemary.
Transfer the dough to a piping bag, or a Ziploc bag with a corner snipped off. Pipe dough onto the baking sheet in mounds approximately 1.5" in diameter (you can change the size of the mounds, but your baking time will have to be changed accordingly).
Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until puffs are golden brown. Serve warm, or freeze for up to 1 month.